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Tagging for Mansfield the latest step in American's footy odyssey

Paul Daffey

IN THE SHEDS

COUNTRY footy is full of legend and lore. Country footy is not full of Americans. So what's an American doing playing senior footy in the competition considered the best in the bush, the Goulburn Valley league?

Dan Sarbacker was at a loss when he finished his study and soccer commitments at the University of Washington in St Louis. The US has no club-based amateur sport. Sarbacker's only sporting fix after university was playing muck-around softball in what was known as the Beer League.

"You put a slab of beer on second base and hit the ball around," he said.

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Sarbacker saw the chance to fulfil his competitive instincts when he heard about an Australian football team called the St Louis Blues. Most large American cities have an Australian football team. Regular tournaments constitute a quasi-club system. At 23, Sarbacker began his footy odyssey.

In recent years, he's been the captain of the US Revolution. In what must be a unique double, his sister Jenny is the captain of the US women's team.

Bruce Bird was involved at Victorian Amateur club Hampton Rovers a decade ago when the Rovers began a program to host one American player a season. A few years ago Bird shifted to Mansfield.

This year Bird encouraged the Mansfield footy club to recruit an American. US Footy convenors recommended Sarbacker. He accepted the offer even though he had to pay his own way.

Now an MBA student at the University of Wisconsin, Sarbacker arrived at the end of the US university year in June. He was billeted out at the home of Mansfield reserves player Andrew Hack. As a way of furthering his studies, he began advising small businesses in town.

Sarbacker's bush footy adventure began in the Mansfield reserves. "The skills are more reliable over here," he said. "At home we tend to play outside the corridor because a lot of players can't kick."

Sarbacker found his skills stacked up. He earned praise for his tackling. As a yapper on the field, he got used to odd looks from opponents who wondered what was going on when they heard an accent.

Collingwood premiership defender Craig Kelly is the Mansfield coach. Last Thursday he told Sarbacker that he had been picked in the seniors. Sarbacker was thrilled. When he thanked Kelly for the opportunity, Kelly stressed he had been chosen on merit.

On Saturday Mansfield played Shepparton United away. Sarbacker was given a tagging role. He acquitted himself well even if Mansfield lost by a hefty margin.

"I settled in for the most part," he said. "I didn't make any obnoxious errors."

Since arriving in Mansfield, Sarbacker has done several radio and television interviews. Before each interview, he's reminded that he barracks for a team, he doesn't root for it.

So who does he barrack for?

In St Louis, an Australian teammate enticed him to be a Geelong fan. "He tossed me a beanie and said welcome to the family," Sarbacker said. "He promised a lifetime of misery and losing grand finals.